Systems and methods for identifying increased user interest and promoting content in a geographic information system

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for identifying increased user interest in a geographic area and selecting and promoting content associated with such geographic area within a geographic information system are provided. One exemplary aspect relates to a computer-implemented method of promoting an item of content within a geographic information system. The geographic information system can comprise a plurality of geospatial data objects respectively representing a plurality of geographic areas. The plurality of geospatial data objects can be accessed by one or more client devices. The method includes identifying a first geospatial data object experiencing an increased volume of access. The method further includes selecting an item of content associated with a geographic area represented by the first geospatial data object and promoting the item of content within the geographic information system. An exemplary system includes a host server system in communication with one or more client devices over a network.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a geographic informationsystem. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems andmethods for identifying increased user interest in a geographic area andselecting and promoting content associated with such geographic areawithin a geographic information system.

BACKGROUND

Geographic information systems provide for the archiving, retrieving,and manipulating of data that has been stored and indexed according togeographic coordinates associated with such data. A geographicinformation system generally includes a variety of data types, includingimagery, maps, tables, vector data (e.g. vector representations ofroads, parcels, buildings, etc.) and other data. Improvements incomputer processing power and broadband technology have led to thedevelopment of interactive geographic information systems that allow forthe navigation and display of geographic imagery. For example, a user ofan interactive geographic information system can input or request ageographic area of interest and, in response, the geographic informationsystem can present geographic imagery associated with such geographicarea of interest within a user interface.

Some interactive geographic information systems provide navigationcontrols within the user interface for navigating cities, neighborhoods,geographic areas and other terrain in two or three dimensions. Thenavigation controls can enable users to tilt, pan, rotate, zoom, andactivate views of terrain, buildings, and other objects from differentperspectives. An example of an interactive geographic information systemfor navigating geographic imagery is the Google Earth™ virtual globeapplication developed by Google Inc. Such interactive geographicinformation systems can be highly accessible sources of informationconcerning the physical or geographic attributes of a certain geographicarea of interest.

However, geographic information systems often fail to provide contentconcerning real-world events occurring within the geographic areasrepresented within the geographic information system. For example, whenan event happens in the real-world, a user often employs a geographicinformation system to learn about or explore the geographic area inwhich the real-world event has occurred or will occur. In this way, theuser is placing an implicit value on data associated with suchgeographic area of interest. However, geographic information systemsoften do not provide location-specific content for the user to furtherexplore or investigate and, thus, do not fully satisfy the user'sunderlying desire for information.

Even in geographic information systems that do provide contentconcerning the geographic areas represented within the geographicinformation system, problems arise due to the sheer volume of contentavailable for inclusion within the geographic information system.Including all available items of content would overwhelm the user andinhibit use of the geographic information system to obtain geographicimagery. More particularly, in the instance in which a user isinvestigating a geographic area in response to a real-world event,certain items of content can more closely relate to the real-world eventbeing investigated. Therefore, systems and methods for identifyingincreased user interest in a geographic area and selecting and promotingcontent associated with such geographic area within a geographicinformation system are desirable.

SUMMARY

Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in thefollowing description, or may be obvious from the description, or may belearned through practice of the invention.

One exemplary aspect of the present disclosure relates to acomputer-implemented method of promoting an item of content within ageographic information system. The geographic information system cancomprise a plurality of geospatial data objects respectivelyrepresenting a plurality of geographic areas. The plurality ofgeospatial data objects can be accessed by one or more client devices.The method includes identifying a first geospatial data objectexperiencing an increased volume of access. The method further includesselecting an item of content associated with a geographic arearepresented by the first geospatial data object and promoting the itemof content within the geographic information system.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdescription and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which areincorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrateembodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serveto explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including thebest mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is setforth in the specification, which makes reference to the appendedfigures, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary geographic information system as presentedwithin an exemplary graphical user interface according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary computer-based system according to anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict exemplary geospatial data objects according toexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 depicts a flow chart of an exemplary computer-implemented methodfor identifying increased user interest in a geographic area andselecting and promoting content associated with such geographic areaaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention,one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Eachexample is provided by way of explanation of the invention, notlimitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be madein the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit ofthe invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as partof one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a stillfurther embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present inventioncovers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

Overview

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to systems and methods foridentifying increased user interest in a geographic area and selectingand promoting content associated with such geographic area within ageographic information system. More particularly, a geospatial dataobject that is experiencing a significant increase in loads compared torecent or average load volume can be identified and deemed to be “hot.”For example, in response to a real-world event, a plurality of users canemploy the geographic information system to learn about or explore thegeographic area in which the real-world event has occurred or willoccur, downloading the corresponding geospatial data objects in theprocess. In such fashion, increased client device access of a geospatialdata object can indicate an increased user interest in the geographicarea represented by the geospatial data object. Once a geospatial dataobject has been identified, an item of content associated with thegeographic area represented by the geospatial data object can beselected and promoted within the geographic information system.

A host server can provide access to a geographic information system fora plurality of client devices. The geographic information system caninclude a plurality of geospatial data objects respectively depicting orrepresenting a plurality of geographic areas. For example, eachgeospatial data object can define a discrete geographic area and cancontain geospatial data associated with such geographic area. Exemplarygeospatial data objects can include map tiles, street level panoramicimages, or other suitable geospatial data objects. The host server or anassociated computing device can monitor each instance in which ageospatial data object is accessed or loaded by a client device.

A geospatial data object that is experiencing an increased volume ofaccess can be identified in several ways. For example, a statisticalmeasure can be applied to access data describing the number of instancesin which the host server provides access to the first geospatial dataobject to one or more client devices. Applying such statistical measurecan result in identifying an increased volume of access by one or moreclient devices with respect to the first geospatial data object.

As another example, the number of instances in which each geospatialdata object is accessed by one or more client devices can be monitoredfor a plurality of periods. A period that exhibits an increase in thenumber of loads of a first geospatial data object can be identified.Such increase in the number of loads of the first geospatial data objectcan indicate an increased user interest in the geographic arearepresented by the first geospatial data object.

As yet another example, a volume of access versus time can be measuredfor each of the plurality of geospatial data objects. A derivative ofsuch volume of access can be monitored and a first geospatial dataobject having a derivative exhibiting a positive value exceeding athreshold value can be identified. Such positive derivative value canindicate an increased volume of access with respect to the firstgeospatial data object.

After a geospatial data object that is experiencing an increased volumeof access is identified, an item of content associated with thegeographic area represented by the geospatial data object can beselected. Such item of content can relate to a real-world eventassociated with the geographic area represented by the identifiedgeospatial data object. In particular, an item of content can beselected that is relevant to the real-world event causing the increasein the number of loads of the geospatial data object.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, selecting an item ofcontent can include identifying one or more points of interestassociated with the geographic area represented by the geospatial dataobject. For example, one or more buildings, monuments, parks,businesses, organizations, or other points of interest can be locatedwithin the geographic area represented by the geospatial data object.The point of interest that is most related to the increase in geospatialdata object loads can be identified according to a point of interestselection algorithm that incorporates historical traffic data orsecondary signals such as news articles, social media postings, or otherweb-content.

After a point of interest associated with the geographic arearepresented by the geospatial data object has been identified, an itemof content associated with the point of interest can be selected. Forexample, a specific news article, photograph, video, webpage, mapcontent, or other internal or external item of content associated withthe point of interest can be selected and promoted within the geographicinformation system. The item of content can be selected based upon anumber of factors, including relevance, popularity, advertisingpartnerships, or other suitable factors.

The selected item of content can be promoted within the geographicinformation system. For example, the item of content can be suggested toa user of the geographic information system. As another example, a userof the geographic information system can be incentivized to select orotherwise load the item of content.

Exemplary Geographic Information System

Exemplary computer-based systems and methods for selecting and promotingan item of content according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure will now be set forth. The present subject matter will bediscussed with reference to a geographic information system allowing auser to navigate geographic imagery, such as the Google Earth™ virtualglobe application developed by Google Inc. Those of ordinary skill inthe art, using the disclosures provided herein, should understand thatthe present disclosure is equally applicable to other suitablegeographic information systems. In addition, the inherent flexibility ofcomputer-based systems allows for a great variety of possibleconfigurations, combinations, and divisions of tasks and functionalitybetween and among the components. For instance, the systems and methodsdiscussed herein can be implemented using a single computing device oracross multiple computing devices.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary geographic information system 100 aspresented within an exemplary graphical user interface 102 according toan exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Geographicinformation system 100 provides for the archiving, retrieving, andmanipulation of geospatial data that has been indexed and storedaccording to geographic coordinates, such as latitude, longitude, andaltitude coordinates. Geographic information system 100 can combinegeospatial data such as satellite imagery, photographs, maps, models,tables, and other geospatial data with Internet search capability so asto enable a user to view imagery of the planet (e.g. as a portion of avirtual globe) and related information (e.g., locales such as islandsand cities; and points of interest such as local restaurants, hospitals,parks, hotels, and schools).

Exemplary geospatial data includes geographic imagery 104. Geographicimagery 104 can be satellite imagery, aerial imagery, three-dimensionalimagery, map imagery, street level panoramic imagery, or other suitablegeographic imagery. In particular, geographic information system 100 canprovide geographic imagery 104 for display within graphical userinterface 102. For example, a user of geographic information system 100can input or request a geographic area of interest and, in response, thegeographic information system can provide geographic imagery 104depicting such geographic area for display within graphical userinterface 102.

Exemplary geospatial data can further include visual depictions orannotations of one or more points of interest, such as points ofinterest 106, 108, 110, and 112. As used herein, a “point of interest”refers to any feature, landmark, point of interest, or other object orevent associated with a geographic location. For instance, a point ofinterest can include a business, restaurant, retail outlet, coffee shop,bar, music venue, attraction, museum, theme park, arena, stadium,festival, organization, entity, or other suitable points of interest.Data associated with point of interests 106, 108, 110, and 112 caninclude the name of the point of interest and the location of the pointof interest, such as longitude, latitude, and altitude coordinatesassociated with the point of interest.

Due to the massive volume of geospatial data inherent to geographicinformation system 100, such geospatial data can be spatiallypartitioned and organized into a plurality of geospatial data objects.Each geospatial data object can define a discrete geographic area andcan contain geospatial data associated with such geographic area. Forexample, each geospatial data object can contain all geographic imageryand other geospatial data associated with a defined geographic area.Exemplary geospatial data objects will be discussed in further detailwith reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. Spatially partitioning the data ofthe geographic information system into discrete geospatial data objectscan facilitate the organization and processing necessary to implementgeographic information system 100.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, geographicinformation system 100 can further include one or more items of content,such as items of content 114 and 116. In particular, items of content114 and 116 can be selected for promotion within geographic informationsystem 100. One of skill in the art, in light of the disclosurescontained herein, will understand that items of content 114 and 116 maynot be fully included or fully displayed within graphical user interface102. Instead, a link, icon, or other suitable means of presentation oravailability can be used to provide a user access to the content.

Referring again to FIG. 1, graphical user interface 102 can include adisplay window for displaying geographic imagery 104 and a text inputfield 117 for entering location information such as latitude andlongitude, an address and/or zip code, or the name of a point ofinterest (e.g., “Lincoln Memorial” or “Area 51”). Graphical userinterface 102 can also have a number of modes in which it can operate,including Fly To mode, Local Search mode, and Directions mode, as shownby mode select buttons 118.

Graphical user interface 102 can include navigation controls 120 such asa zoom control for adjusting the viewing altitude, a tilt control foradjusting the viewing angle, a rotation control for rotating the viewclockwise and counter-clockwise, and a pan control for adjusting thepresented area of interest. Graphical user interface 102 can alsoinclude places control 122, which allows the user to organize saved datain a Places panel in a way similar to how a user would organize filesand folders on a computer's hard drive.

Graphical user interface 102 can further include layer control 124,which provides for the toggling of a variety of geospatial data layers(e.g., points of interest, as well as map, road, terrain, and buildingdata) that a user can select to display over the viewing area. A usercan implement layer control 124 to enable data layers showing, forexample, parks, schools, hospitals, airports, shopping, and other pointsof interest or locales. The user can also layer multiple searches, saveresults to folders, and share search results and maps with others.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, exemplary layers are available on theLayers panel. For example, a news layer can be enabled using news toggle126. When the news layer is enabled, geographic information system 100can present location-specific news items. For example, item of content116 can be a news item associated with point of interest 112 and can bepresented within the display window in conjunction with point ofinterest 112. Such location-specific news items can be selected inaccordance with aspects of the present disclosure. More particularly,the news items can be selected and promoted on account of theirassociation with a geospatial data object experiencing an increasedvolume of access.

As another example, a suggestions layer can be enabled using suggestionstoggle 128. When the suggestions layer is enabled, geographicinformation system 100 can present suggested items of content to a user.Such suggested items of content can be selected in accordance withaspects of the present disclosure. More particularly, the suggesteditems of content can be selected and promoted on account of theirassociation with a geospatial data object experiencing an increasedvolume of access.

The suggestions layer can be personalized or otherwise configured tosuggest items of content that meet user inputted guidelines,preferences, or other data. However, such personalization is onlyimplemented if the user has provided affirmative consent to suchpersonalization after the user has been informed of what data iscollected, how the data is collected, and how such data will be used.The user can modify or revoke consent to the personalization process atany time. Further, any data collected by or inputted into geographicinformation system 100 can be handled in a way that preserves andrespects user privacy. As an example, a user can personalize thesuggestions layer to provide content relevant to the user's interests.For instance, if the user has personalized the suggestions layer byrequesting content associated with live music performances, thengeographic information system 100 can suggest item of content 114, whichprovides a webcast of a music festival.

One of skill in the art, in light of the disclosures provided herein,will understand that there are many various ways to suggest an item ofcontent to a user, and that each of such ways can be used to satisfy thepresent disclosure. For example, an item of content can be suggestedupon initialization of a client device application providing access togeographic information system 100. As another example, a button can beprovided in graphical user interface 102 that, when selected by a user,prompts geographic information system 100 to suggest an item of contentto the user.

The exemplary graphical user interface 102 shown in FIG. 1 also displaysimage information data 130 in the lower portion of the display window.Image information data 130 can include pointer/cursor coordinates (e.g.latitude/longitude/altitude), streaming percentage completion, and eyealtitude (i.e. camera distance).

Numerous graphical user interface configurations and underlyingfunctionalities will be apparent in light of this disclosure, and thepresent disclosure is not intended to be limited to any one particularconfiguration. For example, displayed geographic imagery 104 can bemanipulated using graphical user interface 102. Graphical user interface102 can be used to reposition the current map view, for example, byclicking and dragging in the display window. A user can also select apoint of interest or item of content by clicking on it within thedisplay window.

Exemplary System Architecture

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary computer-based system 200 configured inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. System 200includes a client-server architecture, where a host server system 202communicates with one or more client devices 204 over a network 206.Although two client devices 204 are illustrated in FIG. 2, any number ofclient devices 204 can be connected to host server 102 over network 206.Each client device 204 can include a geospatial browser 208 that canprovide the user with a customized interface to system 200. For example,geospatial browser 208 can implement graphical user interface 102 ofFIG. 1.

A client device 204 can be, for example, a computing device having aprocessor 210 and a memory 212, such as a desktop or laptop computer.Alternatively, a client device 204 can be a wireless device, such as apersonal digital assistant (PDA), smart phone, tablet, navigation systemlocated in a vehicle, handheld GPS system, or other suchdevices/systems. In short, the client device 204 can be any computer,device, or system that can allow the user to interact with the hostserver system 202 (e.g., requesting maps, driving directions, and/ordata searches, and then receiving data files in response).

Processor 210 of client device 204 can be any suitable processing deviceand can be one processor or a plurality of processors that are operablyconnected. Memory 212 can store computer-readable instructions that whenexecuted by processor 210 cause processor 210 to perform operations,including running geospatial browser 208. Client device 204 can includea display 214 for presenting the geographic imagery received from hostserver system 202 to a user. Client device 204 can further include anetwork interface 216 for providing communications over the network 206.Network interface 216 can be any device/medium that allows the client tointerface with network 206.

Client device 204 can send a request for geographic imagery associatedwith a requested geographic area to host server system 202 over network206 via network interface 216. Client device 204 can then receivegeographic imagery and associated data and present at least a portion ofthe geographic imagery through a viewport or graphical user interface ofgeospatial browser 208 on display 214.

Host server system 202 can be implemented using one or more suitablecomputing devices and can include a processor 218, a memory 220, and anetwork interface 236. Memory 220 can store instructions 222 that causeprocessor 218 to perform operations. Processor 218 can be any suitableprocessing device and can be one processor or a plurality of processorswhich are operably connected.

Memory 220 can include a geospatial data database 224. Geospatial datadatabase 224 can store or provide the geospatial data used by thegeographic information system. Exemplary geospatial data includesgeographic imagery (e.g., digital maps, satellite images, aerialphotographs, street-level photographs, synthetic models, etc.), tables,vector data (e.g. vector representations of roads, parcels, buildings,etc.), point of interest data, or other suitable geospatial data. Whilegeospatial data database 224 is shown in FIG. 1 as included withinmemory 220, one of skill in the art, in light of the disclosuresprovided herein, will understand that geospatial data database 224 canbe located remotely and accessed by host server system 202 over network206.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the geospatial datacontained within geospatial data database 224 can be spatiallypartitioned and organized into a plurality of geospatial data objects226. Geospatial data objects 226 can be used to spatially partition themassive amounts of geospatial data included within geospatial datadatabase 224 into relatively discrete, manageable pieces. In particular,a geospatial data object 226 can represent a defined geographic area andinclude some or all of the geospatial data associated with suchgeographic area. Spatially partitioning the geospatial data of thegeographic information system into discrete geospatial data objects 226can facilitate the organization and processing necessary to implementthe geographic information system.

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict exemplary geospatial data objects according toexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 3Adepicts a plurality of geospatial data objects in the form of exemplarymap tiles according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure. More particularly, FIG. 3A depicts a map 300 made of aplurality of map tiles, including map tiles 302, 304, and 306.

Map tiles 302, 304, and 306 each represent a defined geographic area andinclude geospatial data associated with such geographic area. Forexample, map tile 306 can combine map imagery with vectorrepresentations of roads, such as road 308. As another example, map tile302 can include imagery depicting one or more points of interest, suchas point of interest 310. An annotation can be provided that indicatesthe identity of point of interest 310.

Map tiles 302, 304, and 306 can be indexed and stored based on thelocation of the geographic area they represent. Locations can beexpressed and requested in various ways, includinglatitude/longitude/altitude positions, street addresses, building names,or other data capable of identifying one or more locations. In suchfashion, a geographic information system is capable of selecting,retrieving and transmitting one or more map tiles in response to arequest specifying a particular geographic area or location. Forexample, if a user requested a map of downtown Seattle, then thegeographic information system could retrieve and provide the map tilesdepicted in FIG. 3A, including tiles 302, 304, and 306. Together, suchtiles would provide, in the form of map 300, the geospatial dataassociated with the downtown Seattle.

Map tiles are not limited to any particular data format. For example,map tiles can include geospatial data such as street maps, satelliteimages, aerial images, other suitable images, or a combination of these.The map tiles can be stored as vectors (e.g. in the case of street maps)or bitmaps (e.g. in the case of satellite images and/or aerial images).

Depending on the resolution (e.g., whether the map is zoomed in or out),one map tile can cover a large region (e.g. a State) in relativelylittle detail. Another map tile can cover a much smaller region (e.g. aneighborhood) in relatively high detail. In addition, map tiles can bearranged in a data structure, such as a quadtree or octree datastructure, to facilitate fetching, culling, and level of detailmanagement of the data. For example, the geographic information systemcan transition from a lower resolution tile representing a largergeographic area to a plurality of higher resolution sub-tilesrespectively representing smaller geographic areas as a user zooms in onthe map.

FIG. 3B depicts a plurality of geospatial data objects in the form ofexemplary street level panoramic images according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure. More particularly, FIG. 3B depictsa map 350 having a plurality of icons showing available street levelpanoramic images, including panoramic images 352, 354, and 356. One ofskill in the art, in light of the disclosure contained herein, willunderstand that while FIG. 3B uses icons to depict available panoramicimages 352, 354, and 356 on map 350, such depiction is for the purposesof simplified representation of available panoramic images only. Inparticular, when selected, panoramic images 352, 354, and 356 canprovide a fully immersive street level panoramic image experience.

Panoramic images 352, 354, and 356 can be street level panoramic imagesrepresenting a geographic area. For example, street level panoramicimages can include images captured by cameras positioned within thegeographic area from a perspective at or near the ground level or streetlevel. As such, panoramic images 352, 354, and 356 can depict objectssuch as buildings, trees, monuments, points of interest, etc. from aperspective of a few feet above the ground.

Although the term “street level” images is used, street level panoramicimages are not limited to any particular height above the ground. Forexample, a street level image can be taken from the top of a building.Panoramic street level images can be created by stitching together theplurality of photographs taken from the different angles. The panoramicimage can be presented as a flat surface or as a texture-mapped threedimensional surface such as, for instance, a cylinder or a sphere.

Panoramic images 352, 354, and 356 can be used to provide an immersive360° panoramic viewing experience to a user centered about thegeographic area represented by the panoramic image. For example, a usercan select panoramic image 356 and view a street level panoramic imageof the geographic area represented by panoramic image 356. Inparticular, panoramic image 356 can include imagery depicting points ofinterest 358, 360, and 362. Annotations indicating the identity ofpoints of interest 358, 360, and 362 can be included within panoramicimage 156. Thus, the geographic area represented by panoramic image 356can include points of interest 358, 360, and 362.

As another example, a user can select panoramic image 354. In this case,panoramic image 354 can be a panoramic image of the interior of point ofinterest 364, shown in FIG. 3B as a sports arena. Thus, the geographicarea represented by panoramic image 354 can be the interior of point ofinterest 364.

Similar to map tiles 302, 304, and 306, panoramic images 352, 354, and356 can be indexed and stored based on the location of the geographicarea they represent. Locations can be expressed and requested in variousways, including latitude/longitude/altitude positions, street addresses,building names, or other data capable of identifying one or morelocations. In such fashion, a geographic information system is capableof selecting, retrieving and transmitting one or more panoramic imagesin response to a request specifying a particular geographic area orlocation. For example, if a user requested geospatial data associatedwith point of interest 364, then the geographic information system couldretrieve and provide panoramic image 354.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, the number of instancesin which a geospatial data object is accessed or loaded by a clientdevice can be monitored or otherwise measured. As an example, referringnow to FIG. 2, memory 220 can further include a counter 234. Counter 234can store a plurality of values respectively associated with the numberof instances in which each geospatial data object 226 is accessed by aclient device. For example, each time host server system provides accessto or serves a geospatial data object 226 to a client device 204, therespective value stored by counter 234 can be incremented.

One of skill in the art, in light of the disclosures provided herein,will understand that there are many various ways in which the number ofinstances in which a geospatial data object is accessed can bemonitored. As such, counter 234 of FIG. 2 is exemplary in nature and notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure to such particularhardware or method of counting. Any system or method that monitors ormeasures the number of instances in which each geospatial data object isaccessed by a client device can satisfy the present disclosure.

In addition, while the phrasing “accessed by a client device” has beenused herein, one of skill in the art, in light of the disclosurescontained herein, will understand that such phrasing has been chosen forthe purpose of illustration and not for the purpose of limiting thescope of the present disclosure. As such, the phrasing “accessed by aclient device,” as used herein, incorporates all forms of transfer ortransmission of a geospatial data object from host server system 202 toa client device 204, including, without limitation, host server system202 serving a geospatial data object to a client device 204 and clientdevice 204 downloading a geospatial data object from host server system202.

Host server system 202 can be implemented with conventional or customtechnology. Numerous known server architectures and functionalities canbe used to implement a geographic information system server. Host serversystem 202 can include one or more servers operating under a loadbalancing scheme, with each server (or a combination of servers)configured to respond to and interact with client devices 204 vianetwork 206.

In general, when the user enters a search query (e.g., via thegeospatial browser 208), it is formatted into a request and sent to hostserver system 202 via network 206. Host server system 202 thendetermines the nature of the search query, and responds with theappropriate data from various sub-systems, such as geo-coders, routingengines, and local search indexes, in a format that the requestingclient device 204 can use to present the data to the user (e.g., via thegeospatial browser 208).

As an example, in the case that a user entered a search query for“downtown Seattle,” host server system 202 can determine the geographicareas implicated by the search query, retrieve the appropriategeospatial data objects 226 that represent such geographic areas, andserve the appropriate geospatial data objects 226 to client device 204over network 206. For example, host server system 202 can serve theplurality of map tiles depicted in FIG. 3A in response to such a searchquery. Further, counter 234 can be incremented with respect to each maptile served, including map tiles 302, 304, and 306. In such fashion, thenumber of instances in which each geospatial data object is accessed bya client device can be monitored.

Network 206 can be any type of communications network, such as a localarea network (e.g., intranet), wide area network (e.g., Internet), orsome combination thereof and can include any number of wired or wirelesslinks. In general, communication between the host server system 202 anda client device 204 can be carried via any type of wired and/or wirelessconnection, using a wide variety of communication protocols (e.g.,TCP/IP, HTTP, SMTP, FTP), encodings or formats (e.g., HTML, XML), and/orprotection schemes (e.g., VPN, secure HTTP, SSL).

Computer based system 200 can further include external content 238.External content 238 can be any form of external content including newsarticles, webpages, video files, audio files, written descriptions,ratings, game content, social media content, photographs, commercialoffers, or other suitable external content. Host server system 202 andclient device 204 can access external content 238 over network 206.External content 238 can be searched according to known searchingmethods and can be ranked according to relevance, popularity, or othersuitable attributes.

Exemplary Method for Identifying Increased User Interest and PromotingContent

FIG. 4 depicts a flow chart of an exemplary computer-implemented method(400) for identifying increased user interest in a geographic area andselecting and promoting content associated with such geographic areaaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Whileexemplary computer-implemented method (400) will be discussed withreference to computer-based system 200 of FIG. 2, computer-implementedmethod (400) can be implemented using any suitable computing system. Inaddition, although FIG. 4 depicts steps performed in a particular orderfor purposes of illustration and discussion, the methods discussedherein are not limited to any particular order or arrangement. Oneskilled in the art, using the disclosures provided herein, willappreciate that various steps of the methods disclosed herein can beomitted, rearranged, combined, and/or adapted in various ways withoutdeviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

At (402) a geographic information system is hosted on a server. Forexample, host server system 202 can host a geographic information systemand provide access to such geographic information system to one or moreclient devices, such as client devices 204. Such geographic informationsystem can provide for the archiving, retrieving, and manipulating ofgeospatial data that has been stored and indexed according to geographiccoordinates associated with such geospatial data.

In particular, such geospatial data can be spatially partitioned into aplurality of geospatial data objects. Each geospatial data object candefine a discrete geographic area and can contain geospatial dataassociated with such geographic area. For example, each geospatial dataobject can contain all geographic imagery and other geospatial data,such as points of interest, associated with the defined geographic area.

At (404) the number of instances in which each geospatial data object isaccessed by a client device is monitored. For example, host serversystem 202 can provide access to one or more geospatial data objects toa client device in response to a request from such client device. As anexample, in the case that a user entered a search query for “downtownSeattle,” host server system 202 can determine the geographic areasimplicated by the search query, retrieve the appropriate geospatial dataobjects that represent such geographic areas, and serve the appropriategeospatial data objects to a client device over a network. Inparticular, host server system 202 can serve the plurality of map tilesdepicted in FIG. 3A in response to such a search query. The number ofinstances in which access is provided to each geospatial data object canbe monitored or otherwise tracked.

In one implementation, the server hosting the geographic informationsystem can include a counter. Such counter can store a plurality ofvalues respectively associated with the number of instances in whicheach geospatial data object is accessed by a client device. For example,each time the host server provides access to or serves a geospatial dataobject to a client device, the respective value stored by the countercan be incremented.

One of skill in the art, in light of the disclosures provided herein,will understand that there are many various ways in which the number ofinstances in which a geospatial data object is accessed can bemonitored. As such, the counter described above is exemplary in natureand not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure to suchparticular hardware or method of counting. Any system or method thatmonitors or measures the number of instances in which each geospatialdata object is accessed by a client device can satisfy the step (404).

In addition, while the phrasing “accessed by a client device” has beenused herein, one of skill in the art, in light of the disclosurescontained herein, will understand that such phrasing has been chosen forthe purpose of illustration and not for the purpose of limiting thescope of the present disclosure. As such, the phrasing “accessed by aclient device,” as used herein, incorporates all forms of transfer ortransmission of a geospatial data object from the host server to aclient device, including, without limitation, the host server serving ageospatial data object to a client device or a client device downloadinga geospatial data object from the host server.

At (406) a first geospatial data object experiencing an increased volumeof access is identified. In one implementation, a geospatial data objectthat is experiencing an increased volume of access can be identified byapplying a statistical measure to access data. For example, host serversystem 202 can generate access data that describes the number ofinstances in which the host server system 202 provides access to thefirst geospatial data object to one or more client devices 204. Applyinga statistical measure to such access data can result in identifying anincreased volume of access with respect to the first geospatial dataobject. Exemplary statistical measures include comparing a local maximumto a local average or other suitable statistical measures.

In another implementation, a geospatial data object that is experiencingan increased volume of access can be identified by monitoring, for aplurality of periods, the number of instances in which each geospatialdata object is accessed by a client device. In particular, a period thatexhibits a larger number of loads of a first geospatial data object canbe identified. Such increase in the number of loads of the firstgeospatial data object can indicate an increased user interest in thegeographic area represented by the first geospatial data object.

For example, with reference to FIG. 3A, the number of instances in whicheach of map tiles 302, 304, and 306 are accessed by one or more clientdevices can be monitored for a plurality of periods. As an example, areal-world event, such as a widely-popular music festival, can bescheduled to occur at point of interest 310. In the days leading up tothe music festival, a plurality of users can employ the geographicinformation system to learn about or explore the geographic area inwhich point of interest 310 is located, each user downloading map tile302 in the process. In such fashion, map tile 302 can experience anincreased volume of access and, in the case that the number of instancesin which map tile 302 is loaded is monitored for a plurality of periods,one of such periods can reflect the increased access by the plurality ofusers investigating the music festival. Such period can be identified at(406).

One of skill in the art, in light of the disclosures provided herein,will understand that modifying the length of the monitored periods canresult in identifying various geospatial data objects. For example, incertain circumstances it can be desirable to monitor the number ofinstances in which each geospatial data object is accessed by a clientdevice for a plurality of sixty minute periods. Monitoring client deviceaccess in such fashion can result in identifying a geospatial dataelement associated with a real-world event that has driven increaseduser interest within the previous hour. As another example, it can bedesirable to compare client device access over a plurality of week-longperiods, such that a geospatial data element associated with a moresubstantial real-world event is identified.

In addition, one of skill in the art, in light of the disclosurescontained herein, will recognize that there are many various ways toidentify a period that exhibits a larger number of downloads of a firstgeospatial data object than selected other periods. Any of such methodscan be used to satisfy step (406). For example, a percent change can beevaluated, for each period with respect to a previous sequential period,in the number of instances in which each geospatial data object isdownloaded by one or more client devices. A first period which exhibitsa percent change with respect to a first geospatial data object that isgreater than a threshold value can be identified. A percent change inthe number of downloads of the first geospatial object that is greaterthan a threshold value can indicate an increase in user interest in thegeographic area represented by the first geospatial object.

Returning to (406), according to another implementation of the presentdisclosure, a geospatial data object that is experiencing an increasedvolume of access can be identified by monitoring a derivative of avolume of client device access. More particularly, a volume of accessversus time can be measured for each of the plurality of geospatial dataobjects at (404). A derivative of such volume of access can be monitoredand a first geospatial data object having a derivative exhibiting apositive value exceeding a threshold value can be identified at (406).Such positive derivative value can indicate an increased volume ofaccess with respect to the first geospatial data object.

For example, with reference to FIG. 3B, a volume of access versus timecan be measured for each of panoramic images 352, 354, and 356. Further,a derivative of the volume of access with respect to time can bemonitored for each of panoramic images 352, 354, and 356. If one of suchderivatives exhibits a positive value exceeding a threshold value, thenthe corresponding panoramic image can be identified at (406).

As an example, a real-world event, such as an exciting sporting event,can have occurred at point of interest 364. In the minutes, hours, ordays following the sporting event, a plurality of users can employ thegeographic information system to visualize or explore the geographicarea associated with point of interest 364. In particular, a pluralityof users can visualize the interior of point of interest 364 usingpanoramic image 354. In such fashion, a derivative describing the changein the number of downloads of panoramic image 354 over time can exhibita positive value exceeding a threshold value. Such positive value canindicate an increased user interest in the geographic area representedby panoramic image 354 and can be identified at (406).

While the implementations of step (406) disclosed above have beendiscussed with reference to identifying a single geospatial data objectexperiencing an increased volume of access, one of skill in the art, inlight of the disclosures provided herein, will appreciate that multiplegeospatial data objects experiencing an increased volume of access canbe identified. More particularly, a plurality of geospatial data objectsthat represent a single geographic area can be identified.

As an example, with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the geographic arearepresented by panoramic image 354 of FIG. 3B can also be represented bymap tile 302 of FIG. 3A. If both panoramic image 354 and map tile 302experience an increased volume of access, then increased user interestin the shared geographic area can be assumed.

As another example, map tile 302 can be a member of a data structure,such as a quadtree or octree data structure, which includessub-groupings of map tiles. One of skill in the art, in light of thedisclosures contained herein, will appreciate that an increased userinterest in a geographic area can be identified by identifying variouscombinations of such map tiles that are experiencing an increased volumeof access.

For example, a volume of access can be monitored at (404) for only thosemap tiles of the highest resolution and only a map tile of the highestresolution can be identified at (406). Limiting the identification ofmap tiles to those of the highest resolution can increase the precisionwith which increased user interest is identified.

As another example, an algorithm can employ a weighted average toidentify an increased user interest in a geographic area. In particular,lower-resolution map tiles that represent a larger geographic area canbe given less weight, higher-resolution map tiles that represent asmaller geographic area can be given more weight, and panoramic imagescan be given the greatest weight. Using such an algorithm, increaseduser interest in a geographic area represented by one or more geospatialdata objects can be identified.

Returning to FIG. 4, at (408) a plurality of points of interest can beidentified. Such points of interest can be associated with thegeographic area represented by the first geospatial data objectidentified at (406). For example, a host server can retrieve the firstgeospatial data object from memory and identify a plurality of points ofinterest located within the geographic area represented by the firstgeospatial data object. The plurality of points of interest can beidentified based upon geospatial data included within the firstgeospatial data object. Alternatively, the plurality of points ofinterest can be identified by accessing a point of interest database.The boundaries of the geographic area represented by the firstgeospatial data object can be used as limitations when accessing thepoint of interest database.

As an example, with reference to FIG. 3B, if panoramic image 356experiences an increased volume of access and is identified at (406),then at (408) a plurality of points of interest associated with thegeographic area represented by panoramic image 356 can be identified.More particularly, panoramic image 356 can include visual imagerydepicting points of interest 358, 360, and 362 and points of interest358, 360, and 362 can be identified at (408).

Returning to FIG. 4, at (410) a first point of interest can be selectedfrom the plurality of points of interest identified at (408) based upona point of interest selection algorithm that incorporates one or moresecondary signals. In particular, the point of interest selected at(410) can be the point of interest that is most related to the increasedvolume of access experienced by the geospatial data object identified at(406). Selecting a first point of interest at (410) can narrow thepossible items of content to be selected from at (412).

The point of interest selection algorithm can incorporate one or moresecondary signals to select the first point of interest. Exemplarysecondary signals can include the results of a web search, a search ofrecent news articles, a search of social media postings, the number ofincoming links associated with a point of interest, or other suitablesecondary signals.

For example, if users of a social media platform provide affirmativeconsent after a full disclosure of what data is collected, how it iscollected, and how such data is used, all available postings of thesocial media platform can be searched for the title of each of theplurality of points of interest identified at (408). The point ofinterest that was referenced in the most postings can be selected at(410). In such fashion, the point of interest selected at (410) can bethe point of interest that is most likely related to the increasedvolume of access experienced by the geospatial data object identified at(406). In addition, such consent can be modified or revoked at any timeand all data can be handled in a way the preserves and protects userprivacy.

As another example, with reference to FIG. 3B, if points of interest358, 360, and 362 are identified at (408), then a search engine cansearch available recent news articles for the respective titles of eachof points of interest 358, 360, and 362. If a real-world event causingincreased user interest has recently occurred at point of interest 358,then a search of recent news articles using the title of point ofinterest 358 should provide the largest number of relevant results. Insuch case, point of interest 358 can be selected at (410).Alternatively, the number of relevant news results for each point ofinterest can be compared against historical volumes of news results forthat point of interest such that a point of interest which isexperiencing increased news discussion is identified and selected at(410)

As yet another example, the plurality of points of interest identifiedat (408) can be classified into a plurality of groups or layers and thepoint of interest selection algorithm can consider such points ofinterest on a layer by layer basis. A point of interest can be selectedfrom each layer and one or more of such points of interest can beselected at (410).

One of skill in the art, in light of the disclosures contained herein,will understand that the methods disclosed herein for selecting a pointof interest by searching social media postings or available newsarticles for the title of each point of interest are simplified for thepurposes of illustration and, thus, do not limit the scope of thedisclosure to such methods. In particular, a point of interest selectionalgorithm for selecting a first point of interest at (410) can include avariety of secondary signals in addition to those discussed herein andcan include weightings, iterations, feedback, or other suitablecomplexities or combinations such that the point of interest most likelyrelated to the increased volume of access experienced by the geospatialdata object identified at (406) is selected at (410).

At (412) an item of content can be selected. Such item of content can beassociated with the geographic area represented by the first geospatialdata object identified at (406). More particularly, the item of contentcan be associated with the first point of interest selected at (410).The item of content can be selected based upon a content selectionalgorithm which incorporates relevance data, popularity data,advertising partnership data, or other suitable data. The item ofcontent can be internal to the geographic information system (e.g. aplacemarker, 3-D rendering, panoramic image, or other suitable internalcontent) or can be retrieved from external content 238 of FIG. 2 (e.g.news articles, webpages, video files, audio files, written descriptions,ratings, game content, social media content, photographs, commercialoffers, or other suitable external content).

As an example, a plurality of items of content can be identified and theitem of content that is most relevant to the real-world event causingthe increased user interest in the geographic area can be selected.Relevance can be determined by comparing the subject matter of each itemof content with the point of interest selected at (410). Relevance canalso be determined by comparing the time at which each item of contentwas generated with the time at which the geospatial data objectexperienced the increased volume of access.

As another example, the content selection algorithm can also incorporatepopularity data. In general, the popularity of an item of content canpositively influence the probability that such item of content will beselected at (412). For example, if two items of content are identifiedwhich are equally relevant to the real-world event causing the increaseduser interest, it can be desirable to select the more popular item ofcontent to increase user satisfaction. Popularity can be determined bycomparing, for example, page views or social media virality factors suchas comments, replies, or rebroadcasts.

As yet another example, the content selection algorithm can incorporateadvertising partnership data. For example, the host of the geographicinformation system can have an advertising partnership with a specificcontent provider. In such case, the items of content available forselection at (412) can be limited to those items of content availablefrom the content provider. Alternatively, the items of content availablefrom the content provider and advertising partner can have an increasedprobability of being selected at (412) as compared with items of contentfrom content providers who are not advertising partners.

Using such content selection algorithm, an item of content can beselected that is associated with a geospatial data object experiencingan increased volume of access. In particular, the likelihood that theselected item of content will be relevant to a real-world event that theuser is investigating can be increased.

At (414) the selected item of content is promoted within the geographicinformation system. For example, with reference to FIG. 1, the item ofcontent can be suggested to a user of the geographic information systemin accordance with the suggestions layer. When the suggestions layer isenabled, geographic information system 100 can periodically suggestitems of content to a user. As another example, provided that a user hasaffirmatively consented to the personalization of the suggestions layer,geographic information system 100 can suggest item of content 114, whichprovides a webcast of a music festival, to a user that has requestedcontent associated with live music performances.

One of skill in the art, in light of the disclosures provided herein,will understand that there are many various ways to suggest an item ofcontent to a user, and that each of such ways can be used to satisfystep (414). For example, an item of content can be suggested uponinitialization of a client device application providing access to thegeographic information system. As another example, a button can beprovided in graphical user interface 102 of FIG. 1 that, when selectedby a user, prompts the geographic information system to suggest an itemof content to the user.

An item of content can also be promoted in accordance with step (414) byincentivizing a user to select or otherwise download the item ofcontent. For example, a reward, medal, or other accomplishment can bebestowed upon a user of the geographic information system whosuccessfully loads a given number of items of content. As anotherexample, the item of content can include a commercial offer or couponand the user can receive the commercial offer by selecting the item ofcontent from within the geographic information system.

Promoting an item of content in such fashion increases the visibility ofcontent associated with a geospatial data object experiencing anincreased volume of access. Thus, a user of the geographic informationsystem can be provided with timely content related to a real-world eventthat the user may be investigating.

While the present subject matter has been described in detail withrespect to specific exemplary embodiments and methods thereof, it willbe appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining anunderstanding of the foregoing may readily produce alterations to,variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, thescope of the present disclosure is by way of example rather than by wayof limitation, and the subject disclosure does not preclude inclusion ofsuch modifications, variations and/or additions to the present subjectmatter as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method of promotingcontent, the method comprising: providing, by one or more computingdevices, a geographic information system comprising a plurality ofgeospatial data objects respectively representing a plurality ofgeographic areas, wherein the plurality of geospatial data objects areaccessible by one or more client devices; identifying, by the one ormore computing devices, a first geospatial data object experiencing anincreased volume of access, the first geospatial data objectrepresenting a first geographic area; selecting, by the one or morecomputing devices, an item of content associated with the firstgeographic area; and promoting, by the one or more computing devices,the item of content within the geographic information system.
 2. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying, by the oneor more computing devices, a first geospatial data object experiencingan increased volume of access comprises applying, by the one or morecomputing devices, a statistical measure to access data associated withthe first geospatial data object to identify an increased volume ofaccess, the access data describing the number of instances in which ahost server provides access to the first geospatial data object to theone or more client devices.
 3. The computer-implemented method of claim1, wherein identifying, by the one or more computing devices, a firstgeospatial data object experiencing an increased volume of accesscomprises: monitoring, by the one or more computing devices for aplurality of periods, the number of instances in which each of theplurality of geospatial data objects is accessed by the one or moreclient devices; and identifying, by the one or more computing devices, afirst period that exhibits a larger number, with respect to selectedother periods of the plurality of periods, of instances in which a firstgeospatial data object is accessed.
 4. The computer-implemented methodof claim 1, wherein identifying, by the one or more computing devices, afirst geospatial data object experiencing an increased volume of accesscomprises: measuring, by the one or more computing devices for each ofthe plurality of geospatial data objects, a volume of access versustime; monitoring, by the one or more computing devices for each of theplurality of geospatial data objects, a derivative of the volume ofaccess with respect to time; and identifying, by the one or morecomputing devices, a first geospatial data object having a derivativeexhibiting a positive value exceeding a threshold value.
 5. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the increased volume ofaccess and the item of content relate to a real-world event associatedwith the first geographic area represented by the first geospatial dataobject.
 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein theplurality of geospatial data objects comprise a plurality of map tiles.7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofgeospatial data objects comprise a plurality of street level panoramicimages.
 8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, whereinselecting, by the one or more computing devices, an item of contentassociated with the first geographic area represented by the firstgeospatial data object comprises: identifying, by the one or morecomputing devices, a plurality of items of content associated with thefirst geographic area represented by the first geospatial data object;and selecting, by the one or more computing devices, a first item ofcontent from the plurality of items of content based upon a contentselection algorithm that incorporates relevance data, popularity data,and advertising partnership data.
 9. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, wherein selecting, by the one or more computing devices, anitem of content associated with the first geographic area represented bythe first geospatial data object comprises: identifying by the one ormore computing devices, a point of interest located within the firstgeographic area represented by the first geospatial data object; andselecting, by the one or more computing devices, an item of contentassociated with the point of interest.
 10. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 9, wherein identifying, by the one or more computingdevices, a point of interest located within the first geographic arearepresented by the first geospatial data object comprises: identifying,by the one or more computing devices, a plurality of points of interestlocated within the first geographic area represented by the firstgeospatial data object; and selecting, by the one or more computingdevices, a first point of interest based upon a point of interestselection algorithm that incorporates one or more secondary signals, theselected item of content being associated with the first point ofinterest.
 11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, whereinpromoting, by the one or more computing devices, the item of contentwithin the geographic information system comprises incentivizing, by theone or more computing devices, a user of the geographic informationsystem to load the item of content.
 12. The computer-implemented methodof claim 1, wherein promoting, by the one or more computing devices, theitem of content within the geographic information system comprisessuggesting, by the one or more computing devices, the item of content toa user of the geographic information system.
 13. A system for promotingcontent, the system comprising: one or more host servers operable tohost a geographic information system, the one or more host servers eachhaving at least one memory, at least one processor, and at least onenetwork interface, the geographic information system comprising aplurality of geospatial data objects respectively representing aplurality of geographic areas; wherein the one or more host servers areconfigured to perform operations, the operations comprising: providingaccess to the plurality of geospatial data objects, via the at least onenetwork interface, to one or more client devices; identifying a firstgeospatial data object experiencing an increased volume of access; andpromoting an item of content within the geographic information system,the item of content being associated with a first geographic arearepresented by the first geospatial data object.
 14. The system of claim13, wherein identifying a first geospatial data object experiencing anincreased volume of access comprises applying a statistical measure toaccess data associated with the first geospatial data object to identifyan increased volume of access, the access data describing the number ofinstances in which the host server provides access to the firstgeospatial data object to the one or more client devices.
 15. The systemof claim 13, wherein identifying a first geospatial data objectexperiencing an increased volume of access comprises: monitoring, for aplurality of periods, the number of instances in which each of theplurality of geospatial data objects is accessed by the one or moreclient devices; and identifying a first period that exhibits a largernumber, with respect to selected other periods of the plurality ofperiods, of instances in which the first geospatial data object isaccessed.
 16. The system of claim 13, wherein identifying a firstgeospatial data object experiencing an increased volume of accesscomprises: measuring, for each of the plurality of geospatial dataobjects, a volume of access versus time; monitoring, for each of theplurality of geospatial data objects, a derivative of the volume ofaccess with respect to time; and identifying a first geospatial dataobject having a derivative exhibiting a positive value exceeding athreshold value.
 17. The system of claim 13, wherein the host server isconfigured to perform further operations comprising selecting the itemof content from a plurality of items of content based upon a contentselection algorithm that incorporates relevance data, popularity data,and advertising partnership data.
 18. The system of claim 17, whereinselecting the item of content comprises: identifying a point of interestlocated within the first geographic area represented by the firstgeospatial data object; and selecting an item of content associated withthe point of interest based upon the content selection algorithm thatincorporates relevance data, popularity data, and advertisingpartnership data.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein identifying apoint of interest located within the first geographic area representedby the first geospatial data object comprises: identifying a pluralityof points of interest located within the first geographic arearepresented by the first geospatial data object; and selecting a firstpoint of interest based upon a point of interest selection algorithmthat incorporates one or more secondary signals, the selected item ofcontent being associated with the first point of interest.
 20. Anon-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions that, whenexecuted by one or more computing devices, cause the one or morecomputing devices to perform operations comprising: monitoring thenumber of instances in which each of a plurality of geospatial dataobjects included in a geographic information system is downloaded by oneor more client devices, each of the plurality of geospatial data objectsrespectively representing one of a plurality of defined geographicareas; identifying a first geospatial data object experiencing anabnormally large number of downloads; and increasing the visibility,within the geographic information system, of content associated with thefirst geospatial data object.
 21. The non-transitory machine readablemedium of claim 20 wherein: the number of instances in which eachgeospatial data object is downloaded by the one or more client devicesis monitored for a plurality of sequential periods; and identifying afirst geospatial data object experiencing an abnormally large number ofdownloads comprises: evaluating a percent change, for each period withrespect to a previous sequential period, in the number of instances inwhich each geospatial data object is downloaded by the one or moreclient devices; and identifying a first period exhibiting a percentchange, with respect to downloads of a first geospatial data object,that is greater than a threshold value.
 22. The non-transitory machinereadable medium of claim 20 wherein: monitoring the number of instancesin which each geospatial data object is downloaded by one or more clientdevices comprises monitoring a plurality of derivatives respectivelyassociated with the plurality of geospatial data objects, the pluralityof derivatives respectively describing the change in the number ofdownloads of each geospatial data object by the one or more clientdevices over time; and identifying a first geospatial data objectexperiencing an abnormally large number of downloads comprisesidentifying a first derivative describing an abnormally large increasein downloads of a first geospatial data object over time.